We studied the effect of Brazilian propolis on sneezing and nasal rubbing in experimental allergic rhinitis of mice. A single administration of propolis caused no significant effect on both antigen-induced nasal rubbing and sneezing at a dose of 1000 mg/kg, but a significant inhibition was observed after repeated administration for 2 weeks at this dose. Propolis caused no significant inhibitory effect on the production of total IgE level after repeated administration of 1000 mg/kg. The drug also caused no significant inhibition of histamine-induced nasal rubbing and sneezing at a dose of 1000 mg/kg. On the other hand, propolis significantly inhibited histamine release from rat mast cells induced by antigen and compound 48/80 at a concentration of more than 10 microg/ml. These results clearly demonstrated that propolis may be effective in the relief of symptoms of allergic rhinitis through inhibition of histamine release.
Caffeic acid (3,4-dihydroxycinnamic acid), one of the moieties of chlorogenic acid, is a phenolic compound widely distributed in plant materials other than coffee, including vegetables and fruits.1) Some biological effects have been attributed to caffeic acid. Huang et al.2) have reported the inhibitory effects of chlorogenic and caffeic acid on 12-Otetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate-induced tumors in mice. Furthermore, the anti-inflammatory properties of caffeic acid and its derivatives have been proven in in vivo and in vitro experiments.3) In addition, the antioxidant potential with regard to the radical scavenging activity of caffeic acid has also been investigated and demonstrated by Bors et al. 4)Atopic dermatitis is a condition manifesting eczema, serous papules, scaling and crust and in severe cases, erosion of the affected skin. Itch, a sensation causing the urge to scratch, is the most significant outcome of atopic dermatitis, where insistent scratching further aggravates the skin symptoms of the disease. 5) In allergic conditions, histamine contained in skin mast cells, acts as one of the main mediators of itchness 6) ; and it has been proven that antiallergic drugs such as azelastine, oxatomide, terfenadine, epinastine and astemizole exert a relatively potent inhibitory effect on itch induced by compound 48/80 in animal models. 7)It is now accepted that drugs having an antioxidant effect have an antiallergic effect as well, and that superoxide generation plays an important role in mast cell activation.8-10) The release of chemical mediators from tissue mast cells has been centrally implicated in a diversity of allergic and inflammatory disorders. Therefore, in the present study, the effect of caffeic acid on allergic symptoms such as skin scratching behavior and vascular hyperpermeability induced by compound 48/80 were investigated in ICR mice. MATERIALS AND METHODS AnimalsFemale ICR mice (6-10 weeks old) were obtained from Japan SLC, Inc. The animals were housed in an air-conditioned room maintained at 24Ϯ2°C with a relative humidity of 55Ϯ15%. They were given standard laboratory rodent chow (Oriental Yeast, Tokyo) and water ad libitum. All procedures involving animals were conducted in accordance with the Guidelines for Animal Experiments at Okayama University Advanced Science Research Center.Drugs The reagents used in the experiments were obtained from the sources shown in parentheses: caffeic acid (Sigma, St. Louis, MO, U.S.A.), compound 48/80 (Sigma), tranilast (Kissei, Matsumoto, Japan). Caffeic acid and tranilast were suspended in 5% arabic gum, while compound 48/80 was dissolved in physiological saline.Scratching Behavior Caffeic acid was administered to the animals orally, 1 h before starting the experiment. Later, 10 mg/0.02 ml compound 48/80 was intradermally injected into the rostral part of the shaved back of the mice. Immediately after the injection, the animals were put into an observation cage (11 cm in diameter, MicroAct, Neuroscience, Tokyo, Japan), which automatically and objectively ...
Lo Han Kuo (Siraitia grosvenori Swingle) is the fruit of the Siraitia grosvenori plant.1) This plant has been cultivated in a restricted area of the southern part of China, Guangxi Province, and only the heated and dried fruit or extract were traded to other countries such as southeast Asia, Japan and the United States of America.2) Lo Han Kuo has been used as a sweet beverage, it contains sweet components called mogrosides, which are triterpene glycosides 400 times sweeter than sucrose.3) In addition, the extract of the dried fruit has been employed as a folk medicine for pharyngitis, cough and stomach or intestinal catarrh. 4) Konoshima and Takasaki 2) found that the mogroside V contained in Lo Han Kuo might be valuable as a chemopreventive agent against chemical carcinogenesis. It has been recognized that the overproduction of nitric oxide, or NO radicals, induce mutation of genes and strongly initiate multistage carcinogenesis. 5,6) When Siratia grosvenori extract was tested on lowdensity lipoprotein (LDL) oxidation, it was found that its sweet elements reduced the atherogenic potential of LDL by inhibiting not only copper-mediated, but also human umbilical vein endothelial cell-mediated LDL oxidation in a dosedependent manner. 7) Similarly, Shi et al. demonstrated that Lo Han Kuo extract has antioxidant activity against free radicals generated by a hypoxanthine and xanthine oxidase system and Fe(II)-induced lipid peroxidation.8) It is well established that drugs having an antioxidant effect have anti-allergic effects as well, and that superoxide generation plays an important role in mast cell activation.9-11) The release of chemical mediators from tissue mast cells has been centrally implicated in a diversity of allergic and inflammatory disorders. Therefore, in the present study, the effect of Lo Han Kuo on allergic symptoms such as nasal rubbing and skin scratching behavior induced by histamine and compound 48/80, respectively, were studied in ICR mice. MATERIALS AND METHODS AnimalsFemale ICR mice (6-10 week-old) were obtained from Japan SLC, Inc., Shizuoka. The animals were housed in an air-conditioned room maintained at 24Ϯ2°C with a relative humidity of 55Ϯ15%. They were given standard laboratory rodent chow (Oriental Yeast, Tokyo) and water ad libitum. All procedures involving animals were conducted in accordance with the guidelines of the Animal Care and Use Committee, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University.Lo Han Kuo Samples To obtain Lo Han Kuo extract, fresh Lo Han Kuo fruits was washed and crushed; then, an extraction was done using hot water at a temperature range of 80 to 90°C. After filtration, the obtained extract was evaporated under reduced pressure. The moisture content of the extract was about 40 w/w%. To prepare the Lo Han Kuo glycoside, Lo Han Kuo extract in paste form was diluted and the sweet components were selectively adsorbed onto a reversal phase column. Using an ethanolic solution, the sweet components that had been adsorbed onto the columns were eluted. Ethano...
Abstract. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the involvement of chemical mediators, other than histamine, in the scratching behavior induced by H 3 antagonists. Scratching behavior was induced by the histamine H 3 antagonists iodophenpropit and clobenpropit (10 nmol / site) when they were injected intradermally into the rostral part of the back of mastcell-deficient (WBB6F1 W / W v ) and wild-type (WBB6F1 +/ +) mice. Subsequently, the effect of spantide, a tachykinin NK 1 antagonist, was measured for 60 min. The effects of the H 3 antagonists on in vitro histamine release from rat peritoneal mast cells were also investigated. When spantide was injected intradermally at a dose of 0.5 nmol / site, it significantly inhibited the response. Furthermore, iodophenpropit and clobenpropit (10 −6 -10 −8 M) did not induce histamine release in isolated rat peritoneal mast cells. Our results indicate that substance P is involved in the skin responses elicited by the histamine H 3 antagonists. Moreover, the fact that these histamine H 3 antagonists did not induce significant increases in the histamine release from rat peritoneal mast cells suggests that the histamine H 3 receptor may not be present in the peripheral cells considered in this study.
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